The present disclosure relates to a developer storage container for storing a developer and an image forming apparatus mounted with the developer storage container.
A developer storage container such as a toner container is arranged in an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet using a developer. The toner container is a container for storing a toner (developer) to be supplied to a developing device, and is mounted in the image forming apparatus in a state attachable and detachable by a user. Generally, the toner container includes a container main body which serves as a toner storage space, a toner discharge opening provided at a suitable position of the bottom wall of the container main body and a conveyor screw for conveying the toner toward this toner discharge opening. Further, the conveyor screw is known to have a double structure composed of an inner side and an outer side.
In the case of arranging the conveyor screw having the double structure as described above in the toner container, the conveyor screw conveys the toner in a conveying direction toward the toner discharge opening and, simultaneously, conveys a part of the toner in a direction opposite to the conveying direction. In this case, the toner is conveyed in opposite directions near the outer periphery of the conveyor screw and in an inner part. Under a condition that the fluidity of the toner in the toner container is poor, the toner in a cylindrical space formed by the rotation of the conveyor screw flows and the toner located outside that space has trouble flowing in some cases. As a result, there has been a problem that the toner in the toner container is condensed in a tunnel-like manner.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a developer storage container capable of suppressing the tunnel-like condensation of a developer stored in a container main body and an image forming apparatus to which this developer storage container is applied.